


Ink

by rainsoakedshoes



Series: 30 Days of Sterek [13]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Artist Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Pre-Slash, Tattoo Artist Derek, Tattooed Derek, Tattooed Stiles, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 23:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3152366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainsoakedshoes/pseuds/rainsoakedshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Stiles walked into The Bite his hair was blue, and he was looking for a new tattoo artist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Day 13 - Ink  
> this was originally going to be the drabble for "Hair", hence the mention of Stiles' frequently changing hair colour.

The first time Stiles walked into _The Bite_ his hair was blue, and he was looking for a new tattoo artist.

“Can I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked. Her long blonde hair was dip dyed pink, she had a vertical labret piercing, and there was a pink and red rose tattooed on the side of her neck. The name tag pinned to her blue corset said: _Erica_.

“Hi, I was hoping to talk to one of the tattoo artists about my design, and maybe set up an appointment?” Stiles said.

Erica nodded. “Did you have a certain artist in mind? Have you looked at the portfolios?”

“I looked through the portfolios on your website,” Stiles said. “That’s why I decided to come in. I was impressed by all the work, honestly. I think maybe Derek or Boyd? I think those were their names? Their styles look like they could work best.”

“Do you have the design with you?” Erica asked.

“Of course.” Stiles pulled his sketchpad out of his bag and flipped it open to the right page to show Erica.

The drawing was of a foxes head. The design was angular, all sharp corners and solid lines. Stiles had shaded it in red and orange, with hints of white at the tips of the ears.

Erica considered the drawing for a moment. “Derek’s in the back,” she said. “I’ll fetch him so he can take a look. I think he’ll like this.”

Stiles nodded and Erica slipped out through the _employee’s only_ door.

The man Erica returned with was the same height as Stiles, although he had more muscle bulk. The blue v neck t-shirt he was wearing showed off both his arms that were covered in tattoos, and gave Stiles a peek at a chest piece. The man was piercing free – at least in all the places that Stiles could see.

“I’m Derek.” The man held out his hand for Stiles to shake.

Stiles shook Derek’s hand and noticed the phases of the moon were tattooed across his knuckles. “Stiles, nice to meet you.”

Derek picked up the sketchpad that was sitting on the counter. “You drew this?” Derek asked.

“Yep,” Stiles nodded. “All me.”

“It’s good.” Derek wanted to flip through the sketchpad and see what else Stiles had drawn, but he knew that would be a faux pas.  

“Thank you,” Stiles said, cheeks a little pink. He didn’t show people his artwork very often and it always came as a surprise when people complimented it.

“The one suggestion I’d make is making the interior lines – the eyes and mouth – slimmer. That way we’ll get the full effect of the red and orange gradient.” Derek turned the sketchpad around and pointed to the areas he was talking about.

Stiles nodded again. “I figured some minor changes would have to be made adapting it to a tattoo.”

“Is this the size you want it?” Derek asked.

“Yeah. It’s for the side of my calf,” Stiles said, anticipating Derek’s next question.

“I’d really like to do this tattoo,” Derek said. “Although we have a month wait at the moment.”

“I don’t mind waiting,” Stiles told him. “People I talked to gave really good recommendations of this studio, so I guessed there’d be a waiting period.”

“I could probably knock this out in one session,” Derek said. “If you can handle the pain.” He eyed the tattoos on Stiles’ arms. “But I’d suggest two. One for the black outline, and one for the colouring.”

Stiles didn’t think he could sit through one continuous session. “Two sessions will work,” he decided.

“Cool.” Derek held up the sketchpad. “I’ll go make a copy of the drawing while Erica sets up the appointment for you.”

“Does 3 p.m. on the 17th work for you?” Erica asked.

*

A month later Derek was behind the counter when Stiles came in. He looked up at Stiles then had to do a second take.

“Wasn’t your hair blue the last time you were here?” Derek asked.

Stiles ran a hand through his hair and laughed. His hair was now fire engine red and freshly shaved into an undercut.

“I like to change it up,” Stiles shrugged. “I didn’t actually expect you to recognise me.”

“Of course I recognised you.” Derek picked up the transfer he had ready and walked out from behind the counter. “Even with the new hair colour. You ready for this?”

Stiles took a breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” As many times as he had been tattooed Stiles still got a little iffy around needles. But his desire for new ink always won out over his hatred of needles.

Derek led Stiles over to his work station and got him seated. He showed the transfer to Stiles who approved the slight changes.

“So what do you do for work?” Derek asked to distract Stiles from the pain of the needle.

“I work as an editor for a publishing house,” Stiles said.

“What’s that like?”

Stiles shrugged. “It’s okay. Some of the material I edit is pretty interesting. The down side is I’m expected to wear a suit when I go into the office. So naturally I prefer it when I get to work from home.”

“They’re okay with all your tattoos?” Derek asked. “And you _hair_?”

“When I’m wearing a suit you can’t see the tattoos,” Stiles explained. “As long as I act professional around clients they’re usually pretty okay with the hair. But I definitely don’t get invited to interact with clients unless necessary.”

“You in a suit,” Derek mused. “I bet that would be a good sight.”

“Almost as good as you in that tight t-shirt.”

Derek’s cheeks went pink, but he managed to keep his hand steady.

“How long have you been working here?” Stiles asked.

“My sisters and I opened the place five years ago,” Derek said. “My oldest sister – Laura – and I are tattoo artists, and our younger sister Cora is a piercer. We brought Erica on as another piecer three years ago, then her boyfriend Boyd joined us too when we started getting more clients.”

“Wow.” Stiles tried to ignore the sting of the needle. “I didn’t know you actually owned this place. Or co-owned. Whatever.”

“Where’d you get these other tattoos?” Derek asked. Stiles’ other tattoos were good and Derek knew that most people didn’t switch tattoo artists unless they had to.

“You know Visions over on the other side of town?” Stiles asked.

“Visions? Sure,” Derek nodded. “Why didn’t you go there for this tattoo? They’re good.”

Stiles hesitated before answering. “My now ex-boyfriend slept with my old tattoo artist.”

Derek winced in sympathy. “That’s rough. I’m glad to hear he’s an ex now though.”

“You are?”

Derek paused to look Stiles in the eye. “Yeah, no one deserves to be with a cheater. You deserve better than that prick.”

Stiles smiled. “Thanks.”

Derek focused back on the tattoo and went quiet.

When Derek was finished he cleaned up the tattoo and put plastic wrap over it.

“I guess you’ve heard the tattoo aftercare speech a lot,” Derek said.

“So many times,” Stiles nodded.

“And you’re going to hear it one more time.” Derek said, then launched into his usual speech.

Stiles rolled his eyes and groaned.

Derek stood up – still reciting the aftercare routine – and walked over to the front counter. Stiles followed him.

“If I pay you will you shut up?” Stiles asked.

Derek snapped his mouth shut and Stiles pulled out the cash to pay.   

“What colour is your hair going to be the next time I see you?” Derek asked.

Stiles shrugged and gave Derek a sly grin. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

*

“Well if it isn’t Ramona Flowers,” Erica greeted when Stiles walked into The Bite.

“You like the purple?” Stiles asked.

“I do,” Erica said. “Derek’s going to be disappointed though.”

Stiles’ smile dropped. “Why?”

“Purple means Boyd wins the bet,” Erica explained. “Derek was betting on Green.”

Stiles laughed and relaxed. “You guys were taking bets on me?”

“We’d never do such a thing,” Derek said, walking out of the back of the studio. “But in an unrelated matter: I might have to charge you an extra twenty for the colouring, you couldn’t have gone green could you?”

Derek was grinning and Stiles laughed again.

“Come on, let’s get this tattoo finished,” Derek said.

Stiles tried to keep his breathing even as the needle pierced his skin over and over. Derek didn’t talk as much this session, he didn’t want to mess up the gradient effect he was trying to create with the colouring. He wanted to keep this as close to Stiles’ drawing as possible.

“You’re doing really well,” Derek said soothingly when Stiles took a sharp breath.

Stiles huffed out a laugh. “Yeah I’m a real tough guy.”

Derek shifted the position of his hand on Stiles’ leg so he could crack his shoulder. “You should have seen me when Boyd was tattooing my chest piece,” he said. “I think we were in the third session, and he was doing the shading on the feathers. I had to stop him halfway through because I couldn’t take the pain.”

“What is your chest piece anyway?” Stiles asked.

“It’s an owl,” Derek told him. “It’s one of my favourite pieces. I can show you after I finish up your fox if you want?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Derek went quiet again and focused on the tattoo. Stiles tried not to think about Derek shirtless while Derek had his hands on him.

When Derek finished the tattoo Stiles couldn’t stop smiling.

“It looks amazing,” Stiles said.

Derek cleaned up the tattoo, then put plastic wrap over it to keep it clean.

“Make sure to put the balm on, don’t scratch or pick at the healing tattoo, keep it out of direct sunlight,” Stiles listed off some of the rules of caring for a fresh tattoo.

Derek laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, smart guy. Time to cough up the money.”

Stiles followed Derek over to the counter. Erica had been sorting through some receipts, but when Derek walked behind the counter she walked out to the back room.

Stiles handed of the cash for his tattoo. “So, do I get to see your chest piece now?”

Derek tucked Stiles’ payment in the cash drawer then put his elbows on the counter top. “I was thinking I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of yours.”

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

Derek grinned. “You were my last appointment for the day. Maybe we could grab a drink and play a little ‘you show me yours, I’ll show you mine’?”

A grin that matched Derek’s broke out across Stiles’ face. “Definitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on [tumblr](http://heavenlyhale.tumblr.com/)


End file.
